Ph4 House, image courtesy T38 studio

Located in Tijuana, México, Ph4 house's main objective is to create a balance between privacy and openness, the project was mainly developed from two constraints.

Ph4 House, image courtesy T38 studio

The first one is that the house will be inhabited by an elderly couple, so most of the program is on the first floor, a long glass and concrete box which breaks in the transition between the public and private space.

Ph4 House - Elevation, drawing courtesy T38 studio

Superimposed is a solid volume which twists itself in the opposite direction as the one below, ending in a 7 meter cantilever across the garden. A concrete staircase leads up to the projecting first floor, which houses a guest bedroom and study.

Ph4 House, image courtesy T38 studio

The second is the site, a triangle with a narrow street facade, the rest of the perimeter is adjacent to other houses. It was decided to set the main volume on the center of the site, thus creating connections between interior and exterior along the succession of programatic spaces and a pathway around the house.

Ph4 House, image courtesy T38 studio

+ Project facts

Project Architects: T38 studio + Pablo Casals-Aguirre
Team: María José López, Alfonso Medina, Pablo Casals-Aguirre, Mauricio Kuri, Oscar González
Collaborators: Lucía Arroyo, Alina Castañeda y Adriana Medina.
Construction: Taller38
Project Year: 2010
Construction: 2011
Site surface: 496m2
Built surface: 358m2
Location: México, Tijuana, Baja California.
Photographs : Alfonso Medina, Oscar Gonzalez, Alfredo Zertuche.

+ All images and drawings courtesy T38 studio

Ecletica Escola de Musica, image courtesy 0E1 Arquitetos | Photo by Marcelo Donadussi

The design for this music school is based upon the creation of two hermetic chambers to house rehearsals inside a large space in a historic building located in Nova Prata, Brazil. The configuration of such boxes turns the residual space into two ambients that, even though are continuous, configure different spaces for different activities.

The proposal aims to enrich the user’s experience while using the as little compositive elements as possible. When entering the school, one arrives at a foyer located between two chambers, where the administration and reception are; going further inside the school, a new space emerges, where students can practice before and after class, interacting and sharing knowledge.

Ecletica Escola de Musica, image courtesy 0E1 Arquitetos | Photo by Marcelo Donadussi

The interior of the chambers was designed in order to optimize the acoustics and the comfort of the users. The lighting solution maintains the 3,4-meter-high ceiling and creates a lower light surface, increasing the comfort without losing the acoustic properties of the original building.

Ecletica Escola de Musica, image courtesy 0E1 Arquitetos | Photo by Marcelo Donadussi

A series of furniture were designed to meet the overall resource economy of the project. The material used in the furnishing is the same OSB that covers the interior of the chambers, assuring unity to the design. The different models satisfy the different users’needs, from instrument practice to administrative functions.

Ecletica Escola de Musica - Layout plan, drawing courtesy 0E1 Arquitetos

Ecletica Escola de Musica - Section, drawing courtesy 0E1 Arquitetos

+ Project facts

Project: Ecletica Escola de Musica
Location: Nova Prata, Brazil
Architect: 0E1 Arquitetos | www.0e1.co
Photographer: Marcelo Donadussi

+ All images and drawings courtesy 0E1 Arquitetos

The Red Line, render courtesy BIG

BIG wins the competition to revitalize the city center of the third largest city in Finland.

The invited design contest calls for a strong architectural master plan, comprising residential, commercial and cultural programme, forming a new urban area around the existing Ratina sports stadium in one of the most rapidly developing regions in Finland. BIG is selected as a winner of the competition by Finnish developers Rakennustomisto Pohjola & YH-Länsi, among proposals from Swedish Wingårdhs, German Behnisch Partner and Finnish JKMM.

The Red Line, render courtesy BIG

BIG's proposal, The Red Line, seeks to uncover the urban potential of the 50 000 m2 site located on the Ratinanniemi peninsula, which serves as an important link between Tampere City Centre and the nature area of Eteläpuisto Park. BIG's design embraces and builds upon the existing qualities of the site which is naturally divided into three distinct zones, each holding a unique character.

The Red Line, render courtesy BIG

The challenge of developing a unique destination as the Ratinanniemi Peninsula is to avoid privatization and domestication of the public space. We propose a project defined by a linear public space that like a red line ties the three distinct urban areas together. It invites public life along a new water front promenade, brings it onto a rooftop hiking path to enjoy the views over Tampere, and into the tribunes of the new improved stadium. The three-dimensional public space injects sports into the city, and urban life into the stadium of Tampere.

Bjarke Ingels, Founding Partner, BIG

The Red Line - Diagram, drawing courtesy BIG

The Red Line - Diagram, drawing courtesy BIG

The three areas are conceived as different architectural typologies targeting the potentials of each of the sites. The zone north of the Ratina Stadium holds the potential of becoming a new urban skyline of Tampere visible from the city centre. BIG proposes a miniature skyline of point houses built on pillars in the water all varying in height. The houses are programmed with offices, commercial and cultural space on the ground floor supporting the public life along the waterfront, while private residences with rooftop gardens and spectacular views occupy the higher levels.

The Red Line, image courtesy BIG

The second area, on the tip of the peninsula encompasses an urban perimeter block which surrounds a green courtyard and is distorted to follow the natural topography allowing views from all housing units. The building touches the ground in both ends which allows people to access the building roof featuring a publicly accessible hiking track. Small zones along the route invite for a break on the way up, light workout or a chance to enjoy the spectacular views of the city.

The Red Line, image courtesy BIG

At the street of Tampereen Valtatie a new building with retail, offices and culture doubles as an extension to the spectator stands, forming a hybrid building which breaths life into the stadium. The facades are clad in horizontal louvers that filter the sun towards south and become stepped spectator stands on the north side.

The roof top hiking track promotes informal activity in the urban space and becomes symbolic of the area's transformation from a mono-functional and formalized sport facility into a stadium truly integrated in an urban environment.

Andreas Klok Pedersen, Partner-in-Charge, BIG

The Red Line, image courtesy BIG

A linear public space, the red line, meanders through the three new developments and connects them to the surrounding neighbourhoods. The red line changes shape and function throughout the area – from a boardwalk with harbor baths and saunas along the miniature skyline to a public hiking path reaching the peak of the perimeter block, finally ending as a running track along the stadium building.

The Red Line, image courtesy BIG

+ Project facts

PROJECT: The Red Line
TYPE: Invited Competition
CLIENT: Rakennustomisto Pohjola Oy & YH-Länsi Oy
SIZE: 65.550 M2
LOCATION: Tampere, Finland, FI

Partners in Charge: Bjarke Ingels, Andreas Klok Pedersen
Project Leader: Søren Martinussen
Team: David Tao, Jesper Victor Henriksson, Lucian Racovitan, Taylor McNally-Anderson